Fixtures, such as light fixtures, are used in staging, for example, to illuminate theatre productions, concerts, trade shows, and corporate events. Stage lighting is also a mainstay of the film industry, where it is similarly used to illuminate sets when filming scenes for movies or television shows. Stage lighting usually comprises a truss network or scaffolding from which light fixtures may be securely hung at elevation to light a space.
Fixtures, including light fixtures, are generally bulky and heavy. As such, a dolly or case is normally used to transport light fixtures between locations, for example, to and from storage or to and from a set. The dolly usually comprises a set of elevated rods or pipes, running the length of the dolly, from which light fixtures can be hung by a worker or workers. Each light fixture is hung from one of the dolly's rods or pipes and must be locked in place to secure it during transport. A clamp, which may generally utilize a threaded bolt, is used to secure each light fixture to the dolly's rod or pipe.
Light fixtures are similarly stored by hanging the fixtures from rods or pipes running the length of a storage rack. Clamps, also generally utilizing a threaded bolt, are used to secure the light fixtures to the pipes or rods on the storage rack for safe storage.
However, the process of hanging each light fixture from a rod or pipe and securing each, clamp by clamp, is both tedious and time consuming. Each clamp generally requires individual hand tightening using a twisting handle, or activation of a similar mechanism, by a worker to create a secure grip. Time that could be used building or dismantling a concert stage, for example, must instead be spent securely clamping each light fixture in place.